


Darkness

by fantasygirl2001



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:27:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 12,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24052855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fantasygirl2001/pseuds/fantasygirl2001
Summary: The fellowship sets out to destroy the ring, but it quickly becomes clear that something is wrong with Legolas. Aragorn tries to help his friend but doesn't know that he has a terrible secret. Will the friends be able to help Legolas before it's too late?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

"Can we take a break, please? I'm hungry," Pippin complained, grimacing. His cousin Merry gave him a quick, amused look.

"You are always hungry, my dear Pippin. But you are right, a break would be really good." Aragorn tried not to get upset. It wasn't so long ago that they had stopped, but he had to remind himself that the hobbits were smaller and tired more quickly. His eyes roamed the small group. Frodo and Sam also looked exhausted, even if they said nothing. Boromir and Gandalf looked worried about the hobbits and Gimli seemed annoyed by the hobbits' constant complaining. But when the ranger looked at Legolas, he frowned. The elf looked tense and his eyes wandered restlessly. What was wrong with his friend? Aragorn decided not to ask. The Elf's pride would never allow a real answer.

"All right. Let's make a fire and rest." Immediately and without instructions, Boromir and Gimli set out to look for firewood while Pippin dropped to the floor and the others sat down. Aragorn smiled. These hobbits were really incredible. While the man was unpacking the food, Gandalf was talking to the hobbits and Legolas was walking up and down attentively as if he expected an attack to take place at any moment. Which was strange, because elves could sense when a threat was coming. Aragorn watched his long-time friend closely. The prince was still very, very tense. Aragorn wanted to help him, but he knew that Legolas wouldn't say anything. The Ranger suppressed a sigh and went back to unpacking everything.

Just a short time later, Sam had conjured up a delicious meal and the community sat down by the fire. Everyone except the beautiful Elf. The prince's gaze wandered into the distance. He felt strange somehow. It was like everything was coming back. Lately, Legolas had managed to squeeze everything out but now every little moment came back. Probably because he had too much time to think at the moment. He had too much time to remember. And that he was now responsible for eight other companions didn't make things any better. Legolas was not an easy man to get down to. He fought no matter how hard it was. But something had happened that the wall he had built to protect himself from memories was torn down and threatened to collapse. The elf closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. He couldn't let the memories overwhelm him now. They had a job to do. A task that would decide the fate of all of Middle Earth. Suddenly a hand came down on his shoulder and the prince winced. At the same time, he was annoyed about it. He wasn't usually that frightened. The prince turned and looked into the worried eyes of his best friend.

"Are you all right, Legolas?", the man asked, looking at his friend with concern, but at the same time quite suspicious. He knew that Legolas' pride often stood in his way. The Elf smiled. He didn't want to worry his companions any further. The burden of the ring and its task was already too heavy for them and he did not want to become a burden.

"Yes, I'm fine." The Man's eyes told Legolas that he didn't believe him in the slightest, but luckily he left it at that.

"There's food. Are you coming?" Legolas shook his head. Just thinking about eating made him sick. He was also an Elf and didn't need much food.

"Thanks, Aragorn, but I'm not hungry." His friend's eyes grew even more concerned.

"You know you can talk to me if there is anything." And with these words, he let the prince think again.


	2. Chapter 2

Frodo's eyes were on Aragorn, who was talking to Legolas. He was aware that something was wrong. The hobbit didn't know the elf clearly, but he hadn't missed the tense warrior's stance. The others were beginning to notice that something was different.

"Is he always like that?", Sam asked quietly, looking at the elf. Pippin shrugged.

"I don't know, but I hope not." Frodo could only agree with him in his mind. Somehow Legolas made him nervous. He was distant and calm and was very reserved. Frodo had hardly spoken to him before. But the hobbit quickly realized how much the elf was relying on his senses. Well, they were much better than those of the hobbits, dwarves, humans and even wizards. Gandalfs calm and wise eyes also rested on the Elf. He pulled on his pipe and blew smoke into the night sky.

"Give him time. If he can and wants to talk, he will." Frodo looked at the wizard curiously and attentively. Concern was clearly visible under the mask of calm. Obviously he knew something that the others didn't know. Frodo was taken out of his thoughts when Aragorn returned to them. Without Legolas. The Elf was still motionless and tense on the rock, his blue eyes fixed on the distance. The ranger's face was worried. It was clear that he was concerned about the beautiful Elf.

"I don't know what he has. He doesn't want to tell me," the man muttered as he sat down by the fire. Gimli snorted.

"The typical arrogance of the elves." For this comment he got keen looks from the others. Especially Aragorn didn't find it funny.

"Don't do that, Gimli. Legolas is not arrogant and it really is not appropriate to judge someone like that you hardly know or in your case not at all." Frodo already sensed that the situation would escalate and that made him really nervous. They really couldn't use an argument now. Gandalf also seemed to agree.

"Calm down, my friends. Legolas will talk to us when he's ready." Gimli rolled his eyes but thankfully remained silent. Another stupid comment and the whole thing would have escalated. Frodo glanced at Legolas again. His skin shimmered in the moonlight, as did his golden hair and bright blue eyes. But it was easy to see from his stance that something was wrong. But Gandalf was probably right. They had to wait for Legolas to speak on their own.

Aragorn tried to rest a little, but the thoughts and worries about his friend simply didn't leave him alone. What was it that bothered the prince so much? His eyes went involuntarily to his friend. Legolas had offered to take over the watch, and the others had agreed with relief, glad of the prospect of sleeping. Now Legolas was sitting there, gazing into the distance, chin resting on one of his bent legs. There was so much melancholy in his friend's face. Aragorn's heart grew heavy. It was so incredibly difficult for him to see his best friend like this. But he also knew there was nothing he could do until Legolas told him what was going on.

'Damned elf pride,' thought the ranger to himself. So often Legolas' unbroken pride was why he didn't let himself be helped. He was too proud to admit weakness. Although this trait was often helpful in the fight against his enemies. Aragorn sighed softly. How he would like to help his friend, but he was helpless at the moment. He could only hope that what Gandalf had said was true. That Legolas would talk when he was ready. The ranger hoped so much. With the restless thoughts and worries about his friend, he finally drifted off to restless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next few days were as unspectacular as the days before. The fellowship continued her journey without any incidents. They made good progress. The only difference was that Legolas was withdrawing more and more into himself. He ate nothing and drank hardly anything. Sleeping was also out of the question at the moment. The prince couldn't remember the last time he slept calmly and relaxed. He also didn't even know when he had eaten the last time, but the thought of it made him feel sick. The Elf knew that this was anything as good, but he did nothing about it. What should he have done? Of course, the others noticed Legolas' behavior and the concern for the beautiful warrior grew. Gandalf and especially Aragorn kept an eye on him, always prepared for anything to happen. But so far everything has been normal. So the group set out to cross the Misty Mountains, which turned out to be more difficult than expected. The hobbits hardly came through the deep snow and the others quickly reached their limits. Everyone except Legolas. The Elf was much more light-footed and literally floated through the deep snow. Not as easy as usual, however, since he was pretty exhausted. Nevertheless, he made much better progress than the others. But the mountain didn't seem to be doing well with them because a violent snowstorm soon began. Legolas took action because he had far fewer vision problems than his friends. Thanks to his sharp Elven senses, he could still see a lot despite the heavy snowfall. However, they soon decided to go through Morias mines, causing Legolas to become involuntarily restless. He hated darkness. For him, it was something threatening, something dangerous. And Morias mines were already life-threatening.

"Are you sure that's a good decision? It is dangerous," Legolas said, trying not to show how unsettling he found the thought of going into these mines. Pippin turned to the elf with fearful eyes.

"Dangerous? What's in there?" But before Legolas could say anything, Gimli intervened.

"Scared, Elf?", he scoffed, grinning at the prince. Anger spread through Legolas and masked his fear. His pride did not allow a dwarf to make fun of him. Although he never actually had any prejudices against other beings.

"No, Gimli, I'm just worried about our little friends." The warrior's gaze wandered to the hobbits.

"Frodo decided it, so we do it," Boromir said and Gandalf nodded. Legolas gave up and bowed his head as a sign of approval. Although the thought of going into the mines filled him with fear and reminded him too much of his past. He took a deep breath and followed the others into the mines.

Of course, Aragorn noticed how scared Legolas was. What memory did he have at the mines? It had to be something big. Why didn't the elf just talk about what was bothering him? His heart contracted with concern for his friend. The fact that the prince had not eaten for a long time and hardly slept was also worrying. Elves could, of course, get along without eating and sleeping longer, but at some point, it was too much for them too. Legolas entered the mines with a strange expression in his eyes and Aragorn followed him directly. It was more comforting for him to be around his friend in case something happened. It was dark in the mines and Aragorn was more than happy that the Elf had a natural light that always surrounded him. So he could at least see something. Suddenly Legolas stopped abruptly and Aragorn was so lost in thought that he ran straight into him. Annoyed, the man looked around to find out what was going on. And then he frozed.


	4. Chapter 4

Legolas stood shocked in the middle of the room, but the others also seemed frozen. There were countless skeletons around them. Legolas didn't want to know who it was, but he strongly believed that dwarves were the victims. A painful scream echoed through the hall. Gimli had apparently been able to identify one of the skeletons. Probably on some object. Another scream sounded, but this time it sounded different. It was a familiar cry of pain. Aranel! Legolas winced. Aranel was dead. He had been tortured to death before Legolas' eyes. He had seen his older brother die before him.

"You are mine," suddenly a voice whispered in his ear and a cold shiver ran down the elf's back. He! No, that was impossible!

"No," whispered Legolas and stumbled a few steps back. He knew he was just imagining it, but it was damned real for that. More screams sounded and everyone made the elf's heart beat faster and faster. Arnor, Thorondor, Aldon. They were all dead, but their screams echoed in his head. They grew louder and louder until he heard nothing except their screams of endless agony. "Stop it! Please, leave me alone!", the prince shouted desperately and dropped to his knees. He pressed his hands to his pointed ears, hoping he wouldn't have to hear the screams, but it didn't help. They were in his head and tore him up inside. And then his voice came. She was clearly heard through the tangle of screams.

"I'm going to kill you, Legolas. You couldn't save your brothers and you should remember that this is your fault as you slowly die." It felt like his back was burning and torn again. As if the scars were tearing open to create new pain. The darkness around him grew thicker, threatening to swallow him. The screams grew louder, along with his cold laugh. The prince gasped, his lungs felt tight. His heart was beating too fast, his whole body was shaking. Would it always be so, would the screams now always haunt him? They were so incredibly loud and the elf cried out in agony too. A hand lay on his shoulder and he noticed that someone was shaking him, but he saw only a picture in front of him. His dead brothers and he laughing cruelly. Another scream came from Legolas, the screams in his head were unbearable. And then his brother Aranel's voice came.

"You killed us." And Legolas knew it was true. It was his fault that they were all dead. That his father had lost four of his five children. That they had all died so painfully and not glorious on the battlefield. Now the voices of his other brothers also mixed in and the beautiful Elf gasped even more.

"See what you did, Legolas," his voice came, and Legolas looked up just to see his cold and contemptuous laugh. He felt like back then. Injured and weakened. Sweat ran down his forehead and his heartbeat at least twice as fast as usual. The screams and voices in his head grew louder again. He didn't notice that someone was shaking his shoulder desperately to bring him back to reality. He only heard the screams, the voices, and the laughter. A soft whimper left the elf's lips and he sagged even more. The low whimper became a loud cry as the screams, voices, and laughter tore him apart. He couldn't go on. His lungs screamed for air, but no matter how much he breathed, it never seemed enough. The blackness around him grew thicker and closer. Legolas closed his eyes and tried to ward them off, but it was no longer possible. The last thing he heard was screams and his laughter, then everything went dark.


	5. Chapter 5

Gimli's scream echoed through the dark hall and Aragorn winced. He was also incredibly shocked by the sight of it. The others as well. Merry looked like he was going to throw up while Sam looked like he was going to faint. Frodo and Pippin were as white as chalk, as was Boromir. Gandalf looked angry. Aragorn moved cautiously towards the dwarf. He knew that dwarves didn't really like physical contact, but the human didn't care. He put a hand cautiously on Gimli's shoulder, unable to say anything. He wouldn't have known what either. Gimli let out another scream and Aragorn felt the agony emanating from the dwarf.

"Legolas?", Frodos worried voice came and Aragorn looked up immediately. What was with his elf friend? Legolas was frozen, his eyes wide, but his eyes went blank. Aragorn's heart paused for a moment. The elf seemed to be completely lost.

"No," he whispered suddenly, stumbling a few steps back. Aragorn immediately ran to him. His worry had become fearful. What was with Legolas? "Stop it! Leave me alone," the prince shouted and before anyone could do anything, he dropped to his knees. Aragorn dropped in front of his friend and grabbed his shoulder.

"Legolas? Legolas!" No reaction came from the prince, his eyes were still staring into space. And then the Elf gasped and let out agonizing screams. Aragorn had no idea what to do. What did he see? What was so bad that the otherwise proud prince sat on the floor and just screamed? "Legolas, please talk to me! What's going on?" Aragorn tried again and shook his shoulder. But the prince did not wake up, seemed to see something so bad he could only scream. The handsome archer was still gasping for breath and Aragorn knew that he had to calm him down somehow before the prince collapsed. "Legolas, can you hear me? You have to calm down! Quiet! Breathe, mellon-nin." But it was too late. The prince let out a soft whimper, which slowly became a last cry, then he collapsed and passed out. Aragorn barely managed to catch his friend before he hit the hard floor.

"Get him out of here immediately!", came Gandalf's tight voice beside him. The man did as he was told and picked up his friend, who was incredibly light. But Aragorn didn't register this. All he could feel was fear and worry. What was that? What had Legolas seen? He followed Gandalf past the shocked faces of the others who couldn't believe what they had just seen. The next room was a large hall that had obviously been a throne room, but today it was completely destroyed and dark. Aragorn carefully laid his friend on the floor and immediately started treating him. Legolas was still sweating and shivering.

"Boromir, bring me a wet cloth immediately!", ordered the ranger without looking up. Boromir did as he was told while Aragorn wrapped his friend in a blanket that he had pulled out of his backpack. In addition, he whispered soothing Elvish words in his ear. Boromir handed the ranger the towel and he placed it on the elf's forehead. The others also tried to be useful and make a fire. Aragorn was still kneeling next to Legolas, trying to calm him down somehow. The elf's beautiful face was restless and contorted with fear. The human gently put a hand on Legolas' cheek to make him feel like someone was there. "I'm here, mellon-nin. And I'll never leave you alone." Aragorn knew what his job was now. He had to find out what was bothering his friend. He had to. No matter what it would cost.


	6. Chapter 6

Frodo sat there and just stared at the fire. He couldn't believe what had just happened there. Legolas must have seen something, something that just made him scream. Frodo thought of the painful screams and flinched again. He had never heard anyone scream so painfully and desperately as Legolas had at that moment. The other members of the fellowship also had great problems dealing with it. Nobody really understood what had just happened there. No one, except Gandalf, who gave the elf pitying looks all the time. Aragorn had taken Legolas in his arms to calm him down and was concentrating fully on the beautiful figure in his arms. Fortunately, Legolas had calmed down a bit.

"What is with him, Gandalf ...", Boromir started but was interrupted directly by the wizard.

"I know you are worried about him and want to know what happened, but I am not in a position to tell you. Our prince must do it himself." Frodo froze. Prince? Sorry? Legolas was a prince?! The other hobbits were wide-eyed in surprise.

"Legolas is a ... a prince?", Sam stammered and Gandalf nodded wearily.

"His father, Thranduil, is the king of Mirkwood." Frodo and Sam gave each other a shocked look. Why had Legolas never said anything?

"But that is not important now. Prince or not, he is not doing well at all," Aragorn interjected, his eyes reflecting pure despair and fear. It was about what Frodo felt, but the ranger had to suffer more than the others. Although they hadn't known each other for a long time, Frodo had quickly learned that Aragorn and Legolas were very close. The hobbits gaze rested on the fragile figure of the beautiful elf. Nothing more could be seen of the noble, brave and strong warrior. What remained was a fragile, weak shell. And yet the elf was still beautiful and shone. These beings were really unique. Legolas suddenly started shivering again and Aragorn hugged him even closer. Even in the dark of fainting, the prince didn't seem to be safe from his fears. "All right, my friend. I'm here," heard the Hobbit Aragorn whisper. Gandalf sighed heavily.

"We can only hope that he is strong enough." Frodo's heart contracted. That didn't sound good at all.

"Did it have to do with his brothers?", Aragorn asked suddenly, his voice hotter with grief. Gandalfs look confirmed that the ranger was correct.

"Brothers?", asked Pippin, interested. Gandalf nodded sadly.

"Yes, Legolas had four brothers, Thorondor, Arnor, Aldon, and Aranel."

"Had?", Sam asked carefully, afraid of what was coming. Gandalf's eyes went blank and he just stared into the flames. So Aragorn continued in a shaky voice:

"Legolas loved them very much. While Aranel was like his best friend, Thorondor was the role model he always looked up to. Thorondor was to take the throne one day when his father was no longer alive. He was the oldest and Legolas the youngest. Aranel was only a little older than Legolas, which is why they got along so well. They were all incredibly close together because they had all lost their mother and wanted to support each other. I also really liked them. Not too long ago, the worst thing that could have happened to a family happened. His four brothers were suddenly dead and Legolas was in mortal danger. Nobody was allowed to see him or his brothers. It was terrible. To date, Legolas has not told what happened back then. It is a well-kept secret of the royal family of Mirkwood. And if Legolas doesn't open up and doesn't tell us what happened in that devastating time when I wasn't there, we probably never will know it."


	7. Chapter 7

The elf's head boomed as he slowly regained consciousness. He felt incredibly tired and exhausted and took a while to remember everything. When he did, a tremor ran through his body again and he felt someone pressing him closer. Without seeing it, Legolas knew it was his best human friend and his heart grew a little warmer. Aragorn was really always there. The prince tried to suppress the images that were to appear in front of his eyes and started trying to open his eyes. He immediately looked into two familiar eyes which looked at him anxiously.

"Aragorn ..." His voice sounded broken and his neck was rough and dry. The ranger looked at his friend with relief, glad to hear his voice again.

"Legolas. How are you?" Although Legolas felt pretty miserable and tired, he didn't want to worry Aragorn any more.

"Good." His friend rolled his eyes but said nothing.

"Do you need anything? Water? What to eat?" Legolas shook his head, although eating and drinking might not have been a bad idea.

"No, I'm just tired." His voice was so low that Aragorn had to make an effort to understand him.

"You had a panic attack," said the ranger. "Sleep." Since Legolas wanted nothing more than to sleep a little more, he closed his eyes and soon fell into a dreamless sleep.

Aragorn watched his friend's blue eyes close and his breathing slowed. It was not a good sign that the elf's eyes were closed. Elves usually slept with their eyes open. A small sigh escaped the man as he carefully laid Legolas down next to him and covered him with another blanket. The rest of the fellowship had fallen asleep by now, all except Sam, who was frightened to see the archer.

"Sleep, Sam," Aragorn said calmly, trying not to show his concern. That would only worry about the Hobbit even more. Sam ignored this and instead asked, "Will he get well again?" Aragorn sighed softly. Physically determined, but if Legolas would not recover mentally, his body would also give up at some point. And that was what Aragorn feared most of all. That his friend gave up and would die because of that.

"I don't know, Sam," Aragorn said truthfully. He didn't want to make false hopes because it wasn't looking good for his friend at the moment. His heart almost broke at the thought that Legolas might die. Sam sighed heavily and pain spread over his face.

"He's the noblest being I've ever seen," the hobbit whispered suddenly, fearfully. Aragorn smiled slightly. Legolas was really classy and just beautiful. "I always wanted to see elves," Sam started, looking at Legolas. "I knew they were beautiful and yet I was shocked at how beautiful they really are." Aragorn understood well what the hobbit was feeling. He had also been overwhelmed by Legolas' natural beauty. The bright light that emanated from him.

"Sam, if you should know anything about Legolas, it's that he's a fighter. He won't give up easily." Aragorn hoped it was the same this time. That Legolas would not just give up his life and no longer fight. Sam smiled.

"I hope so." The man also gave him a smile, although it felt terribly wrong. He glanced at his sleeping friend. The fear and pain were still on his face. Aragorn sighed inwardly. What had Legolas seen? After all, he knew it had something to do with the death of his brothers. But the exact story was still hidden. Only Legolas, Thranduil and his dead brothers knew what had happened. Aragorn had always suspected it wasn't a nice story, but now he was certain. Legolas had a terrible secret.


	8. Chapter 8

The next time as Legolas woke up, he felt a little rested. He was still tired, but it wasn't that bad anymore. The elf blinked several times to get a clear view and immediately someone touched him on the shoulder. Aragorn. A small smile stole on the prince's lips, but when he remembered everything, it instantly faded. His friend's eyes filled with concern when he noticed it.

"Legolas, how are you?", he asked quietly. Only now did the Elf notice that everyone else was still asleep.

"Please, Estel. It's okay." Aragorn sighed, obviously not convinced by Legolas' words. But he said nothing more about it. At the next moment, a shadow fell over the two and Legolas winced, but when he recognized Gandalf, he relaxed again. He needed to stop being so scared.

"I am very pleased that you are awake, young friend, but we have to leave. We have been here far too long." Guilt spread through the prince. It was his fault. He had stopped the fellowship and put them in danger. Aragorn, of course, immediately noticed what was going on in his friend and turned to him.

"It's all right, Legolas. Don't blame yourself for that. Should I help you?" The pride of the prince refused to accept help with getting up and Legolas didn't really like it either, but he didn't want to stop his friends and he was too weak. How the Elf hated being helpless. So he nodded slightly and Aragorn shook his hand with a smile. Legolas took it and let himself be helped up. However, he was probably too hasty, because everything started to turn and the prince held on to Aragorn, who immediately gave him a worried look.

"I'm fine, Estel," the Elf muttered, trying to ignore the hoax. In the meantime, the others had noticed what was going on and eyed Legolas with concern. The worried looks slowly got on his nerves, because it was more than uncomfortable for him to be so weak. Legolas took a deep breath and broke away from Aragorn, who still looked worried. In fact, the dizziness subsided and the group set out. It was pretty dark everywhere, which automatically made Legolas nervous again. But he forced himself to rest. The others were worried enough because they were giving him uncertain looks all the time. Legolas was pretty annoyed and was about to say something when he suddenly heard something. Loud steps. "There is something!", he called immediately and everyone went into a fighting stance and drew their weapons. Legolas tried to calm down. He didn't like it when something comes out of the dark. You never knew what was coming. And then the Elf recognized it and everything in him contracted. "A cave troll!" And no sooner when he had said that, the giant being appeared before them. It was going to be tight. Everyone immediately attacked. Unfortunately, everything was just as difficult as Legolas had feared. The hobbits didn't have a chance because they were too small and had to be careful not to be trodden on. Finally, the cave troll hit Aragorn, which was thrown aside. "No!", the Elf screamed and pounced on the giant monster, the tiredness was completely forgotten. All that mattered now was saving his friends.

"Legolas!", Boromir shouted, but the prince didn't respond.

"Run!", he shouted before pulling his daggers and burying them deep in the flesh of the giant monster, which then howled loudly. Legolas had no idea whether his friends had followed his orders, he could only hope so. And then the inevitable happened. The troll managed to grab the elf and snatched the weapons from his hand, only to then sink them into Legolas' body. The pain exploded in the prince and he heard someone scream "No!", then everything went black.


	9. Chapter 9

Completely stunned, Aragorn watched how the troll buries the daggers in the elf's body. A loud, stunned scream escaped the ranger when Legolas went limp. His heart screamed desperately and without paying attention to anything else, the man pounced on the troll. The anger and worry made him strong and he stabbed the troll with his sword, which thanks to Legolas was already pretty weak. With a loud grunt, the monster fell forward, dropping the prince. The ranger immediately ran to the motionless elf.

"Legolas!" But not the slightest emotion came from the beautiful warrior. No sound came from his slightly opened lips. Aragorn reached his friend and turned him on his back with trembling hands. Legolas had to live! He couldn't be dead! Aragorn had no idea how to deal with it when the prince was no longer with him. "Please, Legolas. Hold on." His voice trembled with grief and fear. The ranger's gaze fell on the bad wound. Silver-red blood flowed out and Aragorn frantically pressed his hands on it, hoping to stop the bleeding. Tears stung his eyes. The wound was deep. Legolas was critically injured. "Please ..." The man's voice broke. A hand lay on his shoulder and Aragorn looked up with tears in his eyes. Gandalf looked at him, his grief clearly visible. "We have to be able to do something," breathed the man, completely disturbed by the thought that the beautiful archer could die before him and probably would. "There must be something we can do. We can't let him die. We can't ..." And at that moment Aragorn collapsed over his friend. Gandalf put his hands on his shoulders soothingly.

"Let him go home. Let him go back to his family." But the ranger saw it differently. Legolas was at home. He would never give up his friend without a fight and let him die.

"Gimli, give me something to stop the bleeding with. I need bandages too." Aragorn tried to calm down for his friend. Panicking wouldn't help Legolas. His eyes fell on the elf's face, contorted with pain. Fear, panic, and grief spread through the man's heart. There had to be something he could do! It just had to! Blood seeped through his fingers and the despair in his heart increased. At the next moment, Gimli handed him several bandages and Aragorn immediately got to work. He repressed the troubling thought that it might be too late for his best friend and pushed the fear back in his heart. He didn't know what the others were doing. All that mattered was the Elf in front of him. The Elf who was dying. The ranger felt a few tears in his eyes but pushed them back. It wasn't too late. He still had no reason to cry. Finally, the wound was bandaged and Aragorn trembled put a finger on Legolas' wrist. His pulse was weak and irregular, which made the man sigh softly and deeply.

"Please, Legolas," he breathed, his voice about to break. "You can't give up. You can't leave me." He carefully lifted the elf into his arms and brought him closer to the fire that the others had kindled. Immediately the healer met the worried and frightened looks and a knot formed in his stomach. He couldn't tell them anything that would calm them down. Because there was nothing. Aragorn swallowed the tears again and ignored his heavy heart. He carefully put Legolas down, slipped a rolled-up blanket under his head, and covered him. The ranger's eyes rested on his friend's beautiful face. It was unnaturally pale and distorted with pain. The ranger gently put a hand on the cheek of the handsome prince. "Please fight."


	10. Chapter 10

Frodo sat there, constantly looking at the calm form of the archer. Every time his heart ached and filled with fear that they might lose him. The oppressive silence that hung in the air told Frodo that the others were also afraid. Aragorn kept checking his friend's pulse and breath, and that his face grimacing with concern every time didn't really calm the hobbit. He didn't need a healer to know that Legolas could die. A lump formed in his throat when he thought of this possibility. The elf had protected them. He had put himself in danger to save and protect them. Gandalf looked very tense and chewed his pipe thoughtfully. Sam, Pippin, and Merry looked scared and their eyes were sad. Boromir and Gimli made the wait pretty nervous because even if Gimli didn't like the Elf, he didn't want to see him die this brutal way. Aragorn just stared into the flames and the pain in his face made Frodo's heart hurt anew each time.

"We can't stay here long," said Gandalf suddenly, looking up. His voice sounded strangely rough. The situation hit him too. "The mines of Moria are not a good place to stay." He immediately got Aragorn's attention and the Ranger's eyes sparkled dangerously. Frodo was concerned that he seemed angry.

"What about Legolas? We can't move him too much and he would never survive a long trip." Frodo's heart contracted painfully and the other hobbits flinched at the words of the man. Gandalf sighed deeply and the ring bearer felt that the thought also caused physical pain to the wizard.

"I know, my friend, but we are all in mortal danger. Legolas would not want that we die because of him." Aragorn grimaced in pain and looked down at his friend who was close to his side. The elf's eyes were closed and not the slightest emotion came from him. It seemed like he was already dead.

"I know, but ..." The man's voice broke and when he looked up Frodo winced at the strong feelings in his eyes. They were full of pain, grief, and fear. Gandalf looked reassuringly at the ranger.

"I know how much you love each other, Aragorn, but you should start thinking about the fact that Legolas may not return to us. That he will return to his family in the eternal halls." Aragorn bowed his head and Frodo shivered. He couldn't imagine the pain Aragorn was going to have.

"I can't do that, Gandalf. I can't just let him go. I've known him for as long as I can remember. He was always there, no matter when and in what situation. How should I just let him go?" The Ranger's voice trembled and was hotter with grief. Frodo's heart ached with pity and grief. He felt so incredibly sorry for the man. Gandalf sighed sympathetically. "I know, Aragorn, and you can believe me that I don't want to let him go any more than you do. But it's not in our hands, rather in that of the Valars and Legolas. The prince will decide what to do. Whether he wants to return to us or return to his family." Aragorn shook his head with tears in his eyes. "It's not just about us. What about his father? How can you teach a man who recently lost four of his five sons at once that his last remaining son is now dead?" Gandalf said nothing more and Frodo knew that Gandalf had no answer to that either. Frodo didn't want to imagine how terrible something like that had to be for a father.

"We should sleep," said Gandalf finally, and the fellowship agreed. Of course, Aragorn would stay awake and watch over his friend. Meanwhile, the others lay down and Frodo tried to relax. Hopefully, the handsome Prince of Mirkwood would soon be better.


	11. Chapter 11

Aragorn had no idea how long ago it had been since the others fell asleep and let him do his thinking. He also didn't know how long it had been since Legolas was injured. He had completely lost his sense of time. Every minute felt like an hour. All he could think of was the elf lying next to him, fighting for his life. Meanwhile, Aragorn had developed a kind of paranoia that the prince could stop breathing, so he kept checking his pulse. His heart filled with relief every time when he could feel the weak but existing heartbeat. But in the meantime, all hope had moved to the far corner of his heart and was about to suffocate. The ranger was terrified. He was certain that he had never felt such fear in his life.

And he had to realize that Gandalf was right in every way. They had to go on. The mines were too dangerous and they put their lives at risk.

He also knew that Legolas' life was no longer in their hands. The man had done everything possible in the condition of the elf. If the handsome warrior didn't wake up soon, there was nothing he could do except change the blood-soaked bandages and hope that the healing herbs which he placed on the wound each time would help. The despair in his heart grew steadily when he saw the wound. And Aragorn also knew he had to deal with the fact that his friend might never come back to him. That he would never see him laugh again, that he would never see his shiny blue eyes again, that he would never hear his beautiful voice again. But the thought was too painful. Aragorn had tried several times in the past few hours, but it was impossible for him to think about while Legolas was still alive. He wasn't dead yet. He was still with the ranger. He was still breathing.

Aragorn sighed softly and looked down at his silent friend. He looked so infinitely weak and vulnerable, which didn't suit Legolas at all. He was usually strong and in control of his feelings. But Aragorn remembered that there had been a moment when Legolas had shown weakness to his friend ...

'The moon shone brightly above them and the stars sparkled. Aragorn lay on his back and looked up at the dark sky. A light wind blew, but it was warm and the night was just beautiful. Legolas was on the other side of the fire, but something was wrong. The human being could clearly feel that the Elf was restless because he was constantly turning from side to side and did not seem to find any rest, which was unusual for the otherwise quiet Elf. Finally, Aragorn couldn't stand the unrest and sat up worried. And then he froze. The elf's blue eyes glared at him, but there were tears in them and they looked cloudy.

"Legolas?", Aragorn asked quietly, unsure of what was going on. He had never seen the archer so weak. Usually, Legolas was someone who rarely showed negative emotions. The elf sighed heavily and without thinking for a long time, the ranger got up and went over to his friend, who had meanwhile sat up. Finally, he got on his knees in front of the elf and took him gently in his arms. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but he sensed that Legolas was struggling with the fate of his dead brothers. The Elf didn't have to say anything, Aragorn understood him that way. He felt Legolas snuggled closer to his chest and started to cry softly. Warm tears dripped onto the man's chest, but he didn't care. Instead, he pulled the prince onto his lap and hugged him even closer. His heart seemed to be crying with his friend and the ranger felt his friend's pain. Legolas clung to his friend as if he was afraid of losing him at any moment, and Aragorn stroked his back soothingly.

"Shh, mellon-nin. Everything's fine. I'm here." For a while they sat like that in the quiet night, holding each other in their arms.

Finally, Legolas spoke in a tearful voice: "You have to promise me something, mellon-nin." Aragorn was immediately ready to promise and keep it as long as it relieved the pain in his friend's heart.

"Everything, Legolas." And so it was. The man would die for his friend if it were necessary.

"You have to promise me that you'll never leave me. I couldn't stand that. You can't go. I don't know what I would do without you. Please -" The elf's voice broke, but he didn't need to say more. The ranger's heart filled with incredible warmth.

"I will never leave you, Legolas. My friend, my brother." And both knew that it was a promise for eternity.'


	12. Chapter 12

When Frodo woke up, he had no idea whether it was day or night. In these mines, it was impossible to estimate how much time had passed and whether it was light or dark outside. The hobbit struggled to sit up and looked around. Of course, his eyes immediately went to his injured companion. A sad smile fell on his lips when he noticed that Aragorn was sleeping next to his friend, but not without taking Legolas' hand in his. Again Frodo found out how strong their friendship was.

"It is good that he is resting a little. He needs it," suddenly came a voice next to the hobbit and, because it was really unexpected, he winced. Gandalf was sitting next to him, looking at the two friends. He looked thoughtful. Frodo hardly dared to ask, and he wasn't really sure if he really wanted to know, but he would go crazy if he didn't get an answer soon. And Gandalf would probably know.

"Will he get well again?" Gandalf sighed and when his eyes filled with sadness, Frodo was really scared. Was all hope lost?

"It depends entirely on Legolas. Whether he wants to live or chooses not to. But you must never forget that he is one of the strongest elves I have ever known. If he wants to live, he will do it." Frodo bit his lip thoughtfully. So everything depended on Legolas' mental state. Whether he would be able to deal with this apparently terrible secret or not. At the next moment, a warm hand lay on his shoulder and Frodo looked up at the wizard. "You don't have to be afraid. No matter what Legolas chooses, he'll be fine." The hobbit sighed softly. It was a nice prospect that the Elven Prince would be happy in any case, but of course, Frodo more than anything else wanted the beautiful warrior to stay with them. His eyes fell on Aragorn again.

#"Will Aragorn be able to handle it?" Of course, the hobbit sensed he already knew the answer. Aragorn was too attached to Legolas to let him go. Gandalf frowned.

"I don't know, young hobbit. Aragorn is also a fighter and he will fight for Legolas' life to the end, no matter what we tell him. Perhaps he will be able to understand it a little when Legolas has left and he knows that the prince is now back with his family, but I'm afraid he will break it. These two have developed too deep a love for each other." Frodo looked at his two sleeping companions. Only now did he realize how unusual their connection was. The hobbit didn't know many stories about Middle-earth, but he knew the elves and humans didn't really get along. But Legolas and Aragorn loved each other from the bottom of their hearts as brothers.

"Gandalf, what was the problem between humans and elves?" The wizard shook his head and Frodo felt that the subject frustrated him.

"The problem still exists, my dear Frodo. You have to know that humans are often very greedy, the complete opposite of the Elves. There was originally a connection between humans and elves and they fought many battles together. But then the rings came into play and the human wanted them for themselves. They strived for sole rule and wanted everything for themselves. The humans betrayed and deceived the Elves. They broke the infinite trust of the beautiful beings, which of course they never forgave. Since the battle in which Sauron was struck, humans and elves have not come close to each other. They don't wage war against each other, but they avoid themselves. Many Elves, like Legolas' father Thranduil, still have big problems with humans today. But Legolas and Aragorn are an example of something that is incredibly strong. The example for the deepest brotherly love between a human and an elf."


	13. Chapter 13

When Aragorn regained consciousness, the first thing he did was check his friend's pulse. But everything was as before. Fortunately, it hadn't gotten worse, but unfortunately, it hadn't gotten any better. Another low sigh escaped the man and he started to check the wound and to bandage again. The only good thing was that she stopped bleeding and there were no signs of an infection. But Legolas was far from over the mountain and Aragorn knew that. But as long as his friend didn't wake up, there was nothing he could do for him.

After treating the elf, the ranger looked around. The rest of the fellowship was still asleep and an oppressive silence filled the air. The ranger wanted nothing more than to get out of here and back into the sun. He knew that nature could also help Legolas. Elves were beings that lived from light and fresh air. And he knew that the continuing darkness harmed the beautiful warrior. Legolas soon had to get out of here because even without a fatal injury Elves could die in too much darkness. So they avoided it.

A knot formed in Aragorn's throat and it took a tremendous effort to swallow it. They had to get out of here, even if the risk of worsening Legolas' condition was high. The man sighed. How he hated making such decisions.

"Good morning," suddenly came a low, sleepy voice. Aragorn looked up to see Pippin waking up. The man smiled laboriously at the young hobbit. He didn't want to worry him further.

"Good morning, Pippin. Did you sleep well?" The hobbit yawned and stretched extensively.

"Very good." Then his eyes fell on Legolas and sadness could be seen on his features. "How is he?" Aragorn couldn't suppress a sad sigh. The situation was going to make him crazy.

"Unchanged." The hobbit also sighed. "We're moving on today. We have to get out of here." Pippin looked confused for a moment but then nodded hesitantly. Apparently he wasn't sure what to think of the ranger's idea. And Aragorn didn't know what he thought of the idea.

After breakfast, the fellowship set off again. Aragorn walked in the middle and wore the still motionless Legolas. Gandalf led the company but was on permanent alert.

'How useful it would be if Legolas were here now,' thought the man sadly. The keen senses of the elf would really be an advantage here. But the ranger really missed everything from the prince. What would he give for his voice and laugh now? Suddenly Gandalf stopped and raised a hand. Uh oh. That was not good. Everyone was immediately on alert and looked around carefully. They stood in an incredibly large hall, with pillars on either side.

Aragorn pressed Legolas closer to his body, ready to protect him with his life. At the next moment, there was a loud roar and everything in the man contracted when he recognized it. Orcs! Why now of all times? And at the next moment, they were surrounded by hundreds of orcs. Great. This would have been impossible without an injured companion, but with Legolas, who was seriously injured, it was a death sentence. But Aragorn was ready to protect his friend. No matter what it would cost. The others got ready too, but the ranger could see on their faces that they knew it as well as he did. They would die. Now. Here.

The man looked again at his motionless best friend in his arms. At the next moment, it suddenly became light. Aragorn turned in confusion, only to see an incredibly bright light behind him. What was that now? The orcs immediately fled, but that was no relief. What was that terrible being that even the orcs had to flee? Gandalf probably thought the same thing, because at the next moment he called: "Run!"


	14. Chapter 14

Frodo ran as fast as he could. He didn't know what was behind him, but he didn't need to know that the being was dangerous. Even the orcs had fled from him. The hobbit looked briefly at his companions. They all looked horrified and they all knew that they were now running for their lives. Aragorn wore Legolas and the determination in his gray eyes made it unmistakably clear that he would protect the elf with everything he could.

"What's that behind us?", Merry gasped in the direction of Gandalf.

"A Balrog. A demon from the underworld," the wizard replied shortly, making Frodo shiver. A demon. As if they weren't already having enough problems! The task is to destroy the ring, which now weighed heavily on his soul and then the life-threatening archer who was just standing between life and death. Frodo sighed inwardly. What had they gotten into again? But now was really not the time to think about it.

"To the bridge! Go!", Gandalf commanded and although the hobbit had no idea what it was all about, he simply followed the wizard. The confusion which Frodo felt was visible on Sam's face. The earth around them trembled through the demon behind them and fear spread through the ring bearer. But Gandalf led them to the bridge, determined to bring the fellowship to safety. Aragorn was still wearing Legolas, but after the long run, the little sleep, and the motionless elf on his arm, he looked tired. At this moment Gimli, who was running in front of the hobbit, stopped abruptly and Frodo almost ran into him. What was going on? Why didn't it go on? The hobbit looked past the dwarf in confusion and then gasped in horror. Why couldn't anything ever go in their favor? A gaping hole opened in front of them, part of the bridge had collapsed. At the next moment, there was a roar from behind them that Frodo was going through his legs. He knew the balrog was very close, but he was shocked to see how close.

"What are we going to do now?", asked Merry desperately, who had now realized the danger they were in.

"Jump!", replied Gandalf sullenly. The hobbit thought it was a stupid joke because the hole was huge, but Gandalf actually jumped to the other side. "Gimli!"

Boromir already wanted to help the dwarf, but the latter only looked at him angrily and jumped with the statement: "Nobody throws a dwarf." Frodo had to smile despite her situation. The dwarf was really stubborn. However, Gimli's jump was too short and the hobbits were already panicking that the dwarf would disappear beneath them in the infinitely shimmering darkness, but Gandalf grabbed his beard and pulled him up with a loud rant. Boromir also came across without any problems. All that was left was the hobbits and Aragorn with Legolas. And the time was short.

"Go!", roared Gandalf and now the hobbits jumped too. It was really tight with them, but Gandalf helped with his magic. Frodo looked at the ranger and the prince. There was still this incredible determination in the ma's eyes and at that moment the hobbit knew that the man would accompany his friend to death. He jumped and, with Gandalfs help, made it to them with Legolas. They immediately ran on, but the balrog was too close. They wouldn't have a chance. The hobbit's heart filled with fear, he didn't want to die yet. At the next moment, the old wizard turned to Aragorn.

"Keep them on. I'll stop him!" Frodo's heart contracted in horror and the others stared at the wizard in horror. Aragorn started to say something, but Gandalf cut him off. "Do what I tell you!" The man nodded uncertainly and kept walking as Gandalf approached the demon. Only now did Frodo really see what it really was. The others also turned. They were all scared, didn't want to leave Gandalf alone. The wizard raised his staff and shouted several things the hobbit did not understand. Then the huge creature let out a loud roar and fell into the depths. Frodo smiled as the wizard turned to face them. They did it. But then something happened that nobody had expected. Some of the creature wrapped itself around the ankle of the gray wizard and pulled him with it. The hobbit stared in horror once more before Gandalf disappeared into the eternal darkness.


	15. Chapter 15

The cold air hit his skin, but Aragorn was too shocked to notice. Gandalf was dead. He had disappeared into the eternal shadows. How was that possible? They needed him, without him they would never be able to do their job. The ranger looked at his companions with an aching heart. Sam cried openly, Merry and Pippin also fought back tears. Boromir and Gimli were in shock as Frodo's gaze went blank. They were out of the mines now, but far from out of danger. Aragorn didn't really know what to do next, except that they had to get out of here. The man looked at the motionless figure in his arms. Legolas was still alive, but the ranger didn't know if his condition had changed. Fear filled his heart, but there was no way to check his condition right now. Aragorn took a deep breath. It was his responsibility now. A painful sting hit his heart as he thought of the faithful wizard.

"We have to go on," he said in a rough voice, unable to hide his grief.

"For heaven's sake give us some time!", came it off the stunned Boromir. Aragorn took a deep breath. How he would like to give them and himself time to mourn and take care of the still fighting Legolas, but it was not possible.

"When it gets dark, it is teeming with orcs!" Boromir rose cautiously and went over to the hobbits to calm them down a little. After a few moments, the fellowship gathered around Aragorn and they moved on.

But not for long, because the grief and shock exhausted them and so they camped behind a hill. The man's heart pounded as he carefully put down the beautiful elf. Please he was still alive! Aragorn didn't know how the long, stressful journey had affected the archers and he could only hope that Legolas' condition had not worsened. They couldn't lose him too. His heart ached again, but he ignored it. The prince needed him with a clear mind if he wanted to save him.

The others had started a fire and Sam had started dinner. Aragorn carefully removed the bandages and checked the wound. He exhaled in relief when he saw that she seemed a little better. There was hope! A slight, sad smile settled on the lips of the person as he gave the wound new herbs and bandaged it again. Now Legolas just had to come to. Aragorn sighed softly. That seemed to be the biggest problem right now. This ongoing loss of consciousness.

At that moment the ranger noticed something that worried him. He frowned when he saw the slight sweat film on the elf's skin. Oh no! Please not that too! The man's hand trembled as he reached out to feel the prince's skin. It burned. Aragorn was about to cry out of frustration and fear. Legolas had developed a fever, probably due to the high level of blood loss. The man knew he had to do something, otherwise, the elf's weakened body might not survive the night. The ranger suppressed the terrible thought and rummaged in his healing bag. Fortunately, he quickly found the herbs he was looking for.

"Sam, can you bring me hot water?", Aragorn called to the hobbit, who was looking at him in confusion. Then knowledge and fear sparkled in his eyes.

"Is there something with Legolas?" The group's attention was immediately focused on the human being. He sighed and rubbed his hair desperately.

"Yes, he got a fever. And if he doesn't mind, he probably won't survive the night." He saw the shock on the faces of the others. Aragorn didn't want to worry them, but he had to be honest with them. The rangers gaze rested on the elf's beautiful face as he grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Please. Please stay with me. You can't leave me alone. You can't go. I need you."


	16. Chapter 16

Darkness. Legolas didn't notice anymore. His whole body felt infinitely heavy and numb. It was like he couldn't move like he had no control over his own body. Then something added to the darkness. Stinging, unbelievable pain in his side. What was that? What happened? Memories came back to him. The troll. His companions. His knives. And then there was only darkness. The elf tried to remember more details, although that wasn't really good for his already aching head. The mines of Moria. Gimli's scream. His brothers. Death. An incredible pain spread through his heart. This pain was far worse than the pain in his side. It was his fault. They had died because of him. There she was again. The endless darkness. She enveloped him, invited him to just let himself go. Legolas was ready. He was ready to get involved with her. It was comforting, it would free him of everything. The pain in his head and side, from weakness, exhaustion, and tiredness. But especially of his memories and the pain in his heart. From guilt. The prince was about to drop when another voice reached him.

"You can't go." Who was that? The voice sounded strangely familiar. She was full of love, but at the same time full of sadness and fear. Legolas tried to remember the person who belonged to that voice. And then he recognized her. Aragorn! That was Aragorn! Legolas wanted to call for him, tell him that he didn't have to be afraid, but no sound left his lips. "I need you." These words triggered something in the prince. 'I need you.' His heart filled with warmth and love. And suddenly all desire for the dark was gone.

"Sir, Aragorn." The man turned with tired eyes to Sam, who was standing next to him and holding a bowl of food in his hand. The ranger smiled sadly. Even though he didn't feel the slightest hint of hunger, he knew that he had to eat something to stay strong.

"Thank you, Sam," the man whispered and took the bowl with the stew. The hobbit smiled slightly, but the grief was still clearly visible in his eyes. The day had been very difficult for all of them. And it didn't get better. Legolas still had to fight if he wanted to at all. This thought made the heart of the ranger hurt again.

No, Legolas was strong! He wouldn't give up so easily! With this in mind, Aragorn started to eat. After he finished, he looked at his companions. Merry and Pippin had wrapped themselves in their cloaks and were sleeping next to the fire. Boromir, Frodo, and Sam sat next to each other and talked quietly. Gimli was sitting further away from the fire, so he was barely visible in the dark. He kept watch and sat with his back to the fellowship.

Aragorn glanced at Legolas before he got up and went to Boromir and the two hobbits. The healer could no longer do anything for Legolas. He had given him something against the high fever and put wet towels on his body. Boromir and the Hobbits looked up as Aragorn joined them.

"How is he?", asked Frodo after a while worried and fear flashed in his eyes. The man wanted to say something to calm the ring bearer, but there was nothing he could say that was true.

"Unchanged," sighed Aragorn. Boromir looked at him pityingly and worriedly while Sam bowed his head in silent grief.

"Can't we do anything?", the man asked. Aragorn shook his head.

"I'm afraid no. I did everything that was possible. Now it depends on when and whether he wakes up. That is the most important thing now." The three nodded in understanding.

"I miss Gandalf," Sam suddenly said softly. "Maybe he could have healed him." Aragorn sighed. There was this pain again.

"Me too, Sam. But magic also has its limits at some point. And I'm afraid one of them is the threshold of death." Sam was about to say something when suddenly a faint sound came from behind them.


	17. Chapter 17

Aragorn immediately whirled around. That was not possible! He must have misunderstood! Without paying attention to the questioning and startled faces of the others, the ranger jumped up and ran to his friend. When he looked into his face, tears came to his eyes. Legolas' blue eyes were half open and looked at him a little disoriented. Aragorn immediately dropped beside him and took the elf's hand in his. His heart screamed for joy that the handsome prince was finally awake.

"Legolas ...", he breathed, unable to say more. The archer's confused eyes wandered to his friend.

"Estel ..." His voice was rough and brittle. "I'm here, Legolas." The elf smiled slightly. "I ... I heard your voice ..." Aragorn smiled at his friend, overjoyed to see his smile, no matter how small and weak. The ranger didn't care about the tears that filled his eyes and threatened to run down his cheeks.

"How are you feeling? Are you in pain?" The man already guessed what the answer would be, but he asked anyway.

"Good." Aragorn was about to roll his eyes. Legolas always said it, and each time it ended up the ranger having to end up fighting for his friend's life. "Would you like something for the pain?", Aragorn asked gently, lightly squeezing the prince's hand. The latter only shook his head weakly.

"... No ... I just want to sleep." The ranger gently stroked his friend's hair from his face. "Rest, mellon-nin. I'll be here if you need anything." And so it was. It was clear to the man that no matter what happened, he would not leave his friend's side. And at that moment Legolas also squeezed his hand. It was just a little pressure, but it was enough that a part of the load fell from the ranger's heart.

"Hannon-le," he breathed into a weak voice before closing his eyes again. Aragorn carefully covered the archer with a blanket and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. Finally, he let go of his friend's hand and turned away from the peacefully sleeping figure to return to the fire. Legolas was not yet out of danger, but waking up was a huge step in the right direction. The others looked at him questioningly and nervously as the ranger returned to the fire.

"Is he okay?", Sam asked a little scared. Aragorn couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his lips. "He woke up." Three incredulous looks met him. "Really?", Frodo asked relieved and Sam and Boromir were relieved at the news.

"Yes, he is still very weak, but it is a great relief that he has come to himself." Frodo smiled. "Maybe then he'll really get well again." Sam nodded hopefully and Aragorn could only smile. They could hope again! And this time they could too.

That night the man could finally relax after a long time. An incredible relief was in his heart. Aragorn knew Legolas wasn't over the mountain yet, all that mattered was the fact that the elf had woken up. Unfortunately, the fever still hadn't dropped, which worried the ranger. He knew it was from his friend's high blood loss, but he couldn't do more than give him herbs. Once again, they could only hope. Slowly it got on the human's nerves. He hated not being able to do anything, especially when a friend next to him was dying. Once again he was doomed to inactivity. Aragorn looked briefly at his friend. The handsome warrior was restless and moaned softly in his sleep. He was obviously in pain. The ranger's heart ached at the sight, but there was nothing he could do. So he carefully took the cloth from Legolas' hot forehead, wet it again and put it back on his place. The ranger hoped so much that his friend soon felt better.


	18. Chapter 18

The next time Frodo woke up it was already light. The hobbit yawned wearily and stretched. It took a little while for him to remember everything that had happened, and at that moment he wished he didn't. Because immediately his heart was full of sadness. Gandalf had fallen. They would have to continue the journey without him now. Frodo was afraid of it. Because it was the wizard who had led the fellowship. And not only that. He had been their friend. The hobbit had known the old wizard all his life and it was inconceivable that he was no longer there. Frodo sighed softly. He could only hope that the fellowship would achieve their goal despite everything. Aragorn would lead them now. Of course, the ring bearer trusted the man, but the man was still very young and had other concerns at the moment.

The hobbit's eyes involuntarily shifted to the motionless elf. The prince was restless and whimpered softly in his sleep. Aragorn was sleeping next to him, his friend's hand in his. Frodo felt pity when he saw the Ranger, for it looked as if he had collapsed next to Legolas someday with exhaustion.

Frodo looked around. Boromir sat a little way away and looked as if he was going to fall asleep at any moment. The man had probably taken over the last watch and that was why he was so tired. Since the hobbit didn't want to sit around any longer, he got up and went to the man who, despite his tiredness, immediately noticed him.

"Frodo?", he asked in surprise as the ring bearer fed. "Hello, Boromir." Frodo didn't really have a clue what to say. So far he had hardly spoken to the man and he did not seem to be really trustworthy. In Rivendell, the human had made it absolutely clear that he really didn't want to destroy the ring. And, as Gandalf had told him, the quest for power was human nature. There was another painful sting in his heart when the hobbit thought of the wizard, but he ignored it.

"If you want, you can go to sleep." Boromir smiled wearily at the hobbit. "I'd like to, but I'd rather wait until the rest of the fellowship is awake, but thanks." Frodo just nodded and returned to the sleeping quarters. It was still quiet and there was no emotion from the others.

The ring bearer was about to sit down when a low moan suddenly sounded. His heart immediately beat faster. What was that? Were they in danger? Frodo looked around vigilantly but saw nothing. Another groan. Only now was the hobbit localizing where it came from. Legolas! He immediately jumped to his feet and ran to the blonde elf, ignorant of exactly what he wanted to do. Relief flowed through the hobbit's heart when he looked into two familiar blue eyes. Legolas was alive! The beautiful elf blinked several times before moving slightly just to make a face. Frodo bit his lip in concern. What should he do now? Legolas was obviously in pain and only Aragorn could do anything about it. But he was still asleep and the hobbit knew that the man had it more than necessary.

"Good morning, Frodo," suddenly came a soft, warm voice. The ring bearer smiled slightly.

"Hello, Legolas. Can I do something for you?" Frodo was more than happy that the elf was awake and wanted to do everything that he was soon well again. Legolas gave him a tired smile. "Some water would be good." Frodo nodded and could understand it really well.

"I'll give it to you right away, but the best thing to do is wake Strider first." The prince nodded with a small smile and looked at his hand, which was still in Aragorn's. "How are you?", the hobbit asked concerned now.

"Good," Legolas said quietly before turning back to his friend. Frodo knelt next to the young man and shook his shoulder lightly. To his surprise, the human immediately blinked and looked sleepily at the hobbit.

"Frodo? Did something happen?" Apparently Aragorn was incredibly tense and always vigilant even in his sleep. The ring bearer was about to say something when Aragorn with a "Legolas!" jumped to his feet.


	19. Chapter 19

Bright blue eyes looked into Aragorn's and he could hardly believe his luck. The man smiled at his friend, overjoyed to see him awake.

"How are you, mellon-nin?", the ranger asked carefully, placing his hand on the forest elf's forehead to see how the fever had developed. To his incredible relief, it seemed to have gotten better. Legolas also smiled wearily.

"Good, Aragorn." The man just shook his head. Why was this elf so proud, please? "Can I have water?", the archer asked softly and Aragorn nodded. At the next moment, someone handed him the bottle and when the ranger looked up, he saw Sam smiling at him kindly. In the hobbit's eyes, the ranger saw a part of the happiness that he was feeling right now. With a thankful smile, Aragorn took the bottle and then instructed the hobbits to brew water for tea. The man carefully helped his friend to sit up. Legolas groaned once, but otherwise, he was silent. Aragorn was really sorry for the elf. He didn't want to imagine the pain which this must-have. The man put an arm around his friend's shoulder to keep him upright and put the bottle on his friend's lips. After drinking a little something, Legolas left his head exhausted on the ranger's shoulder. He was obviously very weak. Aragorn involuntarily pulled the elf closer to him and stroked his hair.

"I'm glad that you're here," he whispered in Elvish. Legolas smiled slightly. "Me too, mellon-nin. Me too."

Legolas had no idea how long they were sitting there. He didn't care either. The prince of Mirkwood felt very tired but it was better than last time. His head was still on his best friend's shoulder, who was gently stroking his hair all the time. The elf shut up for a moment, managed to relax a little for the first time in a long time. After a short time, he opened his eyes again and looked around the camp. Legolas frowned. Where was Gandalf?

"Aragorn, where's Gandalf?" The man immediately tensed and the elf raised his head in confusion. What had happened when he was not conscious? The ranger's eyes were full of pain and grief, and the prince's heart contracted. No. It was impossible. "What happened?", Legolas asked, his voice harsh and sad. Aragorn sighed deeply.

"A balrog was after us. Gandalf stood up to him. And went down with him." The handsome warrior swallowed hard. Somehow, this information didn't really go into his head. Gandalf was dead. The elf's heart ached. He had known Gandalf since he was a little Elbling. Gandalf was the only one who knew everything about Legolas. The prince had entrusted him with everything, including what had happened to his brothers at the time. His brothers. His heart filled with pain and sadness again. The wizard would see them again in the eternal halls.

"Legolas?", a concerned voice suddenly asked and pulled him out of his thoughts. Aragorn looked down at his friend with concern. "What?", the elf asked, uncertain whether his friend had said anything else. The man looked worried, but luckily he didn't ask.

"You should sleep." This time the prince nodded without discussion and allowed the ranger to gently put the prince's head on his legs. Legolas closed his eyes and pictures immediately appeared. Thorondor's face contorted with pain, Aranal's bloody body, Arnor and Aldon's empty eyes. His laugh. The forest elf immediately stiffened and became restless. "Quiet. You're safe," suddenly breathes a gentle, calming voice into his ear. Legolas hoped his friend was right. And he also knew that it was soon time, to tell the truth to his friend.


	20. Chapter 20

The rest of the day was uneventful. The fellowship rested and talked a lot. Every now and then Aragorn took care of Legolas' wound and was more than relieved to see that the prince's condition slowly improving. Legolas had actually slept all day and had woken up in between. Although the fever slowly decreased and the elf claimed stiffly and firmly that he was not in too much pain, the human regularly supplied him with pain-relieving and antipyretic herbs. Aragorn firstly knew how proud the prince was and that he would never admit if he needed anything to relieve the pain, and secondly, the ranger didn't want his friend's condition to deteriorate again. It was slowly getting dark again and the fellowship was sitting together by the fire.

Legolas lay next to Aragorn and slept, which is why the companions talked a little quieter. They were laughing at something that Merry was telling them when there was a small cry next to the ranger. Immediately he was on high alert and turned to his friend. Fear spread through him when he noticed that the prince was sweating and trembling violently. Sam, who looked right next to Legolas, also looked worried.

"What about him?", Gimli asked, who was sitting on the other side of the fire. Aragorn put a hand on his friend's shoulder, hoping to calm him down, but it did the opposite. Legolas winced violently and a painful whimper escaped him. Aragorn grew more concerned. What was with his friend? In addition, the elf was not allowed to move too much, otherwise, he would run the risk of the wound opening again.

"No, please! Let him go! Let me go!", came it from the Prince quietly. Aragorn could no longer watch it. He gently shook the handsome archer's shoulder.

"Legolas. Hey, wake up. It's all right," he tried to calm his friend gently, but Legolas didn't respond.

"I am sorry!" The elf's voice sounded desperate and painful. The man's heart ached. Seeing the beautiful warrior like that was terrible for him. His shaking grew stronger.

"Legolas!" The prince was sweating profusely and his whole body was trembling. "Please, let them go!" Everything in the ranger contracted. He sensed what Legolas was dreaming of. And he knew he had to get his friend out of there very quickly. Because whatever the elf saw, it was terrible. The prince's breathing quickened and Aragorn panicked that the archer might collapse.

"LEGOLAS!", he shouted again and at that moment two blue eyes opened. The man was horrified. They were full of fear, panic, and sadness. The elf was trembling all over and his breath was quick and shallow.

"Estel ..." His voice was panicked and he barely managed to sit up. The ranger was worried and helped him, trying to be as calm as possible. "Everything is fine. You are safe. Nobody will hurt you." To his surprise, his voice was firm and calm. Legolas breathed shakily and looked at his friend with his big blue eyes.

"I saw them ...", he whispered and Aragorn had to swallow. He had seen his brothers. "Breathe very calmly," the healer instructed the prince, without going into the statement beforehand. With the best will in the world, he would not have known what to say. Slowly the beautiful elf's breath slowed again and he seemed to calm down. Aragorn's hand was still on his friend's shoulder and he hoped to support Legolas a little bit.

"What happened?", Pippin suddenly asked quietly and the elf turned to the hobbit. "I don't think you want to hear that, my dear friend." Aragorn turned back to his friend.

"Legolas, maybe you'll be better off talking about it." Legolas sighed painfully before he began to tell quietly ...


End file.
